Artificial bait known as plugs or wood minnows.



W. H. SHUFF.

ARTIFICIAL BAIT KNOWN AS ues 0R wooo mmuows. APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1911.

1368,6350 Patented June 4,1918.

WILPIAM H. CITY, MISSQUBI.

ARTIFICIAL BAIT -KN-OW-N PLUGS QR WOQD MINNOWS.

Z0 all whomjt may concern:

Be it lzno vn that I, WILLIAM H. SHUFF, a citizen of the Unit ed States, residing at Kansas City,in the county of aclrsonfand State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Artificial Baits knoivnas Plugs or Wood Minnows', of wh'iclnthe following is a specification.

The invention relates to floating baits for trolling or casting,and the obj ectpf'the in ventionis toprovide a bait of this class which when resting idle the water can be automatically submerged a short distance beneaththe surface of the water the action of the latter thereon, due to the movement of-the boat in trolling or the recovery of the line in casting.

The invention consists in-certain novel combinations and features and details of construction and arrangements by ,which the above object is attained as hereinafter set forth.

The accompanying drawings form a part of these specifications and show a general formof this invention as it :has been carried out in practice, and fouudxx zery eifective.

Figure 1, is a side view, showing a general form of the invention as it appears from one Fig. 3, is a View of the bottom and under side of the invention.

The hooks are not shown in the drawings,

as they may be of varied numbers, size and shape as necessity may demand. Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in each figure.

The invention is based on a type of bait termed a plug or wood minnow consisting of a short cylindrical length of wood equipped with hooks and adapted to be drawn through the water.

Many variations of this type are used and in all the forms the bait is drawn along on or near the surface of the Water.

In the present improvement the cylindrical plug is so shaped or beveled at the head orfront end, letter D Figs. 1 and 2 that it presents a partly flat and slightly concave inclined surface to the action of the Water, and when in operation causes the plug to dive or descend in a more or less upright position and would be useless as a bait were this action not ofl'set to an extent by the bevel being connected at the top with the Specif cationof Letters Patent.

flat surface or plane C, Figs. 1 and2, and at the bottom and front end with :the con caye upward bevel, ig. 3, F, also the as cending grooves on eitherside, Fig.- 'l E, have a tendency to equalize the motion, the

at n e J n e191 Application nea i 19, 1917. se i r 181,569. i

result ofjthe combination being "a plug" that I r des in the water with the reariqr tall endslightly elevated above the horizontal, just suiiicient to allow the hooks vtosviiingwith no frequent or of the plug.

The Wedgeof V shaped shoulder :13, Figs. 1 and 2, on the top or upper side o fpli1g sPl he a s fac or p ane CQEie and 2 and divides the Water. pausing plug to vibrate frqm side to side, accqi'ding r a ontac "w t the b dy to the force of e water. This sa e is also assisted bytheigro ovesF Fig. 1 .to

some extent causing more of quivering motion. fWere either-the grooves, or wedged s a d h er el m nated; the as 'n would not be so good; and if .tlie concave upward bevel F, 3, ontheifront end bottom s de were eliminated, it would act fairly well but would be i IlQIi Qd to dive eepe i h W er- Thu L l sees t omb na i was h w v s a v y perior action, proved by experiencelately,

, The screw eyesfi, Fig. 1,.on ,the ldyverlside of plug, to which hooks are atte, c hed fies-st ba ld t o. ses ile Blasts fi 't 's. t side up. These screw eyes for the hooks are located preferably on the :bottom ,thongh :there might be more and otherwise located.

At a central point sideWise. in the concave bevel, D Fig. 2, a screw-eye is inserted near the upper end of the bevel to which the line is attached for the purpose of operating the plug.

lVith the line attached to the screw-eye in the bevel D, (which presents to the Water a partly flat and partly concave surface) the operator drawing the plug through the water the bevel induces the plug to dive, head down, tail up which action is met and counteracted by the action of the water on the fiat surface or plane C, Figs. 1 and 2, and the concave upward bevel F (Fig. 3) at the front end bottom side, and to some extent by the grooves E, Fig. 1. The Wedge shaped shoulder B Figs. 1 and 2 causes the vibration from side to side, assisted to some extent by the grooves E, thus the plug rides through the Water with the tail end slightly elevated above the head end with a quivering, vibrating motion, the screw eye to proved very attractive to game fish recently.

which the line is attached acting as a pivot at a short distance below and parallel with the surface of the water. This is an action very much desired by fishermen, and this plug when painted enticing colors has through water.

2. An artificial bait, comprising a buoyant body having its forward portion beveled, and wedge shaped water deflecting means formed integral with the upper portionof said body and extending to a point adjacent the upper end'of the beveled forward por-' tion for imparting vibration to the body upon movement of the same through water. i 3. An artificialbait, comprising a buoyant body having its forward portion beveled', said beveled portion having a tapering recess formed therein, and water defleeting means formed integral with the upper portion of said body.

*4. An artificial bait comprising a buoyant body having the forward portion thereof beveled, said beveled Portion having a tapering'recess formed therein, and a Wedge shaped water deflecting element formed integral with the upper portion of the body extending to a point adjacent the beveled forward portion.

' 5. artificial bait comprising a buoy.-

ant body having its forward portion beveled and dished, the forward upper portion of said body being flattened, and a wedge shaped water deflecting element formed integral with the upper portion of the body and extending onto the flattened upper portion of the same.

6. An artificial bait comprising a tapering body circular in cross section having its forward end beveled and dished,an'd water deflecting means" formed integral with the upper'portion of said body and extending to a point adjacent the beveled end.

7. An artificial bait comprising a buoyantbody having its forward end beveled and dished, the forward upper portion of said body being flattened, a-wedge shaped element formed'integral with the upper portion of the body and extending onto the per forward portion of the body being flat ten'ed, a substantially V-shaped element formed integral with the upper portion of the body and extending onto the flattened portion to a point adjacent the beveled end,

the under side of the forward end of id dy being recessed. a y

In testimony that I claimthe invention above set forth Iafiix my signature in the presence of two wltnesses.

WILLIAM H. SHUFF.

Witnesses J G. BRAMWELL, H. S. HARTLEY.

copies of this patent'may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, D. G. 

